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Article published February 16, 2013

Step up, horse lovers

GG
Roy Andrews Winfield Township

The Feb. 10 jeer pointed at county horse owners is totally misplaced.The situation of horse neglect is an unintended consequence and is not a local problem. The jeer should have been pointed at the horse-lover community that pushed through the laws that ban horse slaughter.What are the cash-strapped people who happen to have a horse that they cannot sell or even give away do?It is time for all of those in the deep-pocketed entertainment community to step up and put their money where their mouth is. Equine Angels is a very laudable organization, but it is just a band-aid on a serious cancer of ever-growing horse population.As a result of last year’s drought, all livestock owners are stressed with the high cost of feed, but the cattle, sheep, hog and chicken producers have an out for their animals — slaughter.The Butler Eagle has published many articles covering these forced liquidations. What is the solution for horses with no slaughter outlet?At $7-per-bale hay and $6-per-bushel oats, does one feed his or her horse or children?It is time for the deep-pocketed horse-lover community to step forward to pay for its unintended consequence.